Professor Jayasuriya stated that according to the chronicle Mahawansa we have an authentic recorded history covering a period of 3000 years. According to legend, King Ravana, a king as well as a healer, ruled Sri Lanka about 10,000 years ago. King Ravana is portrayed as having ten heads (the ten Ministries of his Government) and twenty hands with one palm of hands holding acupuncture needles. However, contrary to the popular belief that Sri Lanka has a history spanning only a few thousand years, the latest scientific archaeological and paleontological findings of the celebrated archaeologist Dr. Siran Dereniyagala, Director of Archeology a world-renowned authority in archaeological research points to human habitations of the Homo sapiens in Sri Lanka as far back as 300,000 BP (Before the Present).

The period from about 37,000 years ago, the prehistoric archaeological record is more complete (and most reliable). Extensive studies including radio-carbon dating methods and thermo-luminescence studies carried out in U.S.A. have confirmed the time frame covered by four caves excavated in the lowland wet zone, of Sri Lanka. These were Fa Hien Lena near Bulathsinhala where archaeologists have discovered human habitation at this site from 37,000 BP to 5400 BP; Batadomba Lena near Kuruwita with human habitation from 31,000 BP to 11,500 BP; Beli Lena at Kitulgala with human habitation from 30,000 BP, where the most extensive research has been so far conducted by the Sri Lankan and American archaeologists and paleontologists from Arizona and Cornell (U.S.A.) universities. The fourth cave is Alu Lena near Kegalle showing human habitation from 10,500 BP.

The well-preserved evidence at Beli Lena near Kitulgala indicates that a wide range of plants, animals and seafood (oysters) were consumed as food by the man who lived here popularly known as the Balangoda man. This mixed gourmet diet was well balanced as attested by the robusticity of the human skeletal remains 16,000 years old. The average height of the Balangoda man was over 6 feet. They were quite healthy, despite the lack of modern medicines, antibiotics and immunizations. (The Veddah chief Tissahamy died three years ago at the ripe age of 104 years. It is believed that he descended from a branch of the Balangoda man).

There is clear evidence that from the periods 17,000 to 10,000 years ago in Maha Eliya, (now called Horton plains), organized farming was carried out, among which barley and oats were popularly cultivated. This is the first evidence in the world of man upgrading himself from the hunter- gatherer stage to the agrarian age. The only other region that compares favorably for evidence of farming during this period is the Iran and Iraq region. This metamorphosis of the human from Homo sapiens to Homo sapiens sapiens (Balangodensis) alias Modern Man may have occurred in Sri Lanka for the first time.

The Balangoda man created geometric microlith tools fashioned into various functional shapes, such as lunate, triangular, trapezoidal forms and pointed needles of quartz, flint and other materials. Such geometric microliths have generally been considered the hallmark of the Mesolithic period as first discovered in Europe and dated at 12,000 year ago. Hence it came as a surprise when such tools were found as early as 31,000 years ago in Sri Lanka. Apart from microliths, stone tools and artifacts made of bone and antler which were quite prolific from 31,000 years ago and after, notably small pointed bones and also needles for piercing the skins not only for tatooing or injuring animals to kill them but also for the use of needles to stitch clothes and most importantly for acupuncture treatment as confirmed in the researches of two Swiss authorities Drs. Serasin and Serasin was published in 1908.

In pre-historic times, acupuncture had been practised widely in Sri Lanka in a much broader spectrum than in China, where acupuncture was used only on humans. In Sri Lanka acupuncture has been used not only on humans but also on domestic animals, particularly on elephants to tame them and treat their sicknesses, as evidenced in the well-preserved Ola leaves, from the periods before Christ. The acupuncture needle used on the elephant is the henduwa. There is also reason to believe that in Sri Lanka acupuncture was practiced also on trees to treat plant pathology. This knowledge is still practised in remote villages.

A study of the Balangoda man’s jaw bones by new techniques of dental morphological analysis conducted by Dr. Diane Hawkey of Arizona State University, U.S.A., which is more accurate than DNA analysis, shows the close affinity between the Balangoda man and the Austro- Asiatic people of Eastern and North-Eastern India implying that they are of a common stock. This work also conclusively proves that the Balangoda man was the first Homo sapiens sapiens who became the lord of this planet, giving credibility to the legend that Sri Lanka was the Garden of Eden, the Paradise of Genesis.

It is quite clear on the basis of these findings that acupuncture originated in Sri Lanka, probably even as far back as 37,000 years ago and spread later along the spice route, along with the medicinal spices (and poisons) to Europe. That explains why the Austrian Tyrolean Iceman had been treated with acupuncture 5200 years ago. On the reverse of the silk route with the cross-fertilization of knowledge, acupuncture went to China where it flourished for the past 3000 years. Credit must be given to the traditional Chinese physicians for having preserved the traditions with the underpinning of the Philosophy of TAOISM. Chinese Tea (Camilia Sinensis) became world-famous as Ceylon Tea. Prof. Jayasuriya humorously added that Cricket originated in the greens of England and Scotch in Scotland- but today we have beaten them both at cricket and scotch, even with a name Jayasuriya prominently hitting sixes one after the other.

Prof. Christiaan Barnard has been invited to attend the World Congress to be held in November, 2001 at the BMICH, Sri Lanka. Here further evidence on the origins of acupuncture in Sri Lanka will be presented before a group of delegates from over 100 countries, including 56 delegates from China.

A team comprising Prof. Lakshman Madurasinghe, Consultant Psychologist and Head of Psychotherapy, and Dr. Lohitha Samarawikrema, Consultant Physician, who are the leading medical researchers, supported Professor Jayasuriya. This research is based on the brilliant archaeological findings and publications of Dr. Siran Dereniyagala PhD, Director General of Archeology in Sri Lanka.

BELI LENA CAVE

Belilena is a very large cave, in which the 12,000-year-old skeletal remains of the prehistoric ‘Balangoda man’ (Homesepiens Balangodensis) have been found. In order to reach the cave you have to walk through the jungle, close to the Inoya estate (approx. 8 km from Kitulgala itself).

Located 2000 feet above sea level, the Belilena Cave lies amidst picturesque environs close to Kitulagala. Recent archaeological excavations conducted at the cave have unearthed several fossils believed to be more than 32,000 years old.

The part of the cave beyond the lake that fills it a short way from its mouth still remains unexplored to this day.

This Huge Cave has been home to the prehistoric ‘Balangoda Man’ (Homo sapiens balangodensis) where 16,000 year old skeletal remains have been found. Fa Hien-lena has yielded the earliest evidence (at ca. 37,000 BP) of the ‘Balangoda Man’ followed by Batadomba-lena at 31,000 and 18,000 BP.

These caves have also yielded other artifacts such as prehistoric tools belonging to the 30,000 BP. Batadomba-lena caves have yielded tools going back to 31,000 BP. These are important findings to whole of Asia as these tools are considered to have first originated in Europe around 12,000 BP